Asked about nomination bribe, "Did not receive even 1 won"
Defense attorney: "Mr. Myung said the presidential couple was admirable for listening carefully"
Focus on probing 'nomination interference and public opinion manipulation' allegations
Expecting arrest warrant request after one more investigation session
Political broker Myeong Tae-gyun, who is at the center of allegations of 'interference in candidate selection and manipulation of public opinion,' appeared before the prosecution on the 8th.
As he arrived at the prosecution, Myeong said, "If you trace the flow of money, this case will be resolved quickly."
On the morning of the 8th, Myung Taekyun is answering questions from reporters after appearing at Changwon District Prosecutors' Office. MBC News screen capture
The Changwon District Prosecutors' Office Criminal Division 4 (Chief Prosecutor Kim Ho-gyeong) has summoned Myeong from 10 a.m. today as a suspect on charges including violation of the Political Funds Act and is currently investigating him.
The prosecution's investigation of Myeong comes nine months after the Gyeongnam Election Commission filed a complaint in December last year against Kang Hye-kyung, the former accounting manager for former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-seon, for violating the Political Funds Act, and requested an investigation into Kim and Myeong. Myeong was summoned for questioning in February by the investigation department in relation to this case.
On the day, Myeong, who arrived at the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office with a cane and lawyer Kim So-yeon, avoided direct answers to reporters' questions about his relationship with First Lady Kim Geon-hee and whether he interfered in candidate selection, saying, "Won't these questions be asked during the prosecution's investigation? I will state my position after the investigation."
However, when asked if he planned to make additional revelations, he replied, "I have never made any revelations." When asked if he admitted to receiving money in exchange for candidate selection, he said, "Let me say just one thing. The prosecution keeps adding personnel. The account tracking team has also come. If you trace the flow of money, this case will be resolved quickly," adding, "I have never received even one won."
After Myeong entered the prosecution building, lawyer Kim said, "Kang Hye-kyung, who is like a second Yoon Ji-oh, has told nothing but lies except for breathing, in order to clear her own criminal charges, making everyone tired."
When asked about the allegations that Myeong interfered in former lawmaker Kim's candidate selection, Kim said, "Any ordinary citizen can recommend a candidate for the National Assembly as a hardworking worker for the region, not just the president," adding, "Myeong said that President Yoon and his wife are truly admirable for listening attentively to what an ordinary citizen with no title said." However, he drew a line by saying, "That does not mean they followed it. It is just a good story."
On the day, the prosecution is expected to first question Myeong about the nature of approximately 90.31 million won transferred to him in 25 installments from August of the same year until December last year, after former lawmaker Kim ran as the People Power Party candidate and won in the June 1, 2022, by-election.
Regarding this, Myeong and former lawmaker Kim claim it was a personal debt relationship with Kang, but Kang argues that the money was a reward for Myeong, who helped President Yoon during the presidential election through public opinion polls, assisting former lawmaker Kim's candidate selection via First Lady Kim Geon-hee.
In addition, Myeong is also accused of ▲ conducting 81 public opinion polls worth about 375 million won free of charge when Yoon Seok-yeol was a presidential candidate ▲ receiving 240 million won from two People Power Party preliminary candidates?A, a basic local government head candidate in the Yeongnam region, and B, a metropolitan council candidate?using candidate selection as bait ahead of the June 1, 2022, local elections ▲ interfering in various interests such as the selection of the Changwon National Industrial Complex.
The prosecution, which expanded the investigation team to 11 prosecutors by dispatching six prosecutors in two rounds, summoned former lawmaker Kim for questioning on consecutive days, the 3rd and 4th, and summoned Kang on the 6th for the eighth interrogation. While the testimonies of the three differ, Kang claims that former lawmaker Kim and Myeong are giving false statements and is willing to undergo a confrontation investigation with Myeong.
Meanwhile, the day before his summons, just before President Yoon's press conference began, Myeong posted an apology on his Facebook, saying, "I sincerely apologize to those who were hurt by the publicly released recorded content due to my reckless words and actions." He also targeted Kang, saying, "Kang, who exposed the recordings, demanded 20 million won for her stepfather's hospital bills, and driver Kim threatened by demanding a proportional representation National Assembly seat." The Kim mentioned by Myeong is known to be the registered representative of the Mirae Korea Research Institute, which Myeong effectively operated, and was summoned and investigated by the prosecution last month.
Since there are many matters to confirm with Myeong, the prosecution is expected to summon him once more on the 9th after today's investigation and then move to secure his custody. Given that Myeong previously mentioned attempting to destroy evidence himself and there is evidence that he entrusted his phone to his brother-in-law for disposal, if the prosecution requests an arrest warrant, it is highly likely that the court will issue it.
With President Yoon stating the day before that "there is nothing inappropriate related to Myeong, nor anything to hide," attention is focused on how much the prosecution can uncover the truth behind the allegations through the investigation of Myeong.
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